CRACKING OPEN SOME FOOD MYTHS

CARROTS GIVE YOU NIGHT VISION.... As much as we would all love to develop superpowers, eating carrots will not give you night vision. This myth came about during WW11 when rumours started spreading that Britishpilots had night vision powers thanks to their healthy diet of carrots. Carrots do contain a healthy amount of vitamin A, which is what your body uses to synthesise the pigment in your eyes that operate in low light conditions. Eating carrots can aid this, but only to the point of average vision. EATING CHEESE GIVES YOU NIGHTMARES...... We have Charles Dickens to blame for this one. In a Christmas Carol a still in denial Scrooge blames the appearance of the ghosts on 'eating a crumb of cheese' before going to bed. WATERMELON SEEDS WILL GROW IN YOUR STOMACH...... A lack of sunshine and oxygen will not allow any seed to grow in your stomach. Actually watermelon seeds are good for you as they contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. YOU NEED 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY ......... The recommendation for drinking 8 glasses of water a day came about as health officials tried to match water requirements to calorie requirements, without considering the water content we get from other food. EAT YOUR CRUSTS AND YOU WILL GET CURLY HAIR........ This is one of the stranger myths, the idea of eating crusts will make your hair curly. Whether or not you have curly or straight hair depends entirely on your genes. It is believed the myth originated 300 years ago in Europe where curly hair was seen as a symbol of health and prosperity. SUGAR MAKES KIDS HYPERACTIVE ...... You have been told and believe that feeding your child sweet food sends your child into sugar induced bad behaviour. But, the science does not back that up. In 1994,a double research study found that eating sugary foods di not affect the behaviour or cognitive skills of the children involved. DO NOT SWALLOW CHEWING/BUBBLE GUM AS IT STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH...... Any food substances we swallow are dissoved and excreted within days, with most foods dissolving within hours and bubble/ chewing gum is no different. STEAK COOKED RARE LEAKS BLOOD WHEN YOU CUT IT......... It is easy to understand why so many people would jump to the conclusion that it is blood oozing from your steak as you slice it, but it is not. Almost all the blood in your meat is removed during the slaughter. The red liquid is just water mixed with protein called myoglobin.